Murder of Crows
by PureWaterLily
Summary: In an earth where he was chained, Itachi only had one wish in his youth. Freedom. Pre-Massacre.


**Summary:** Introspection to Itachi's childhood and his wish for freedom.

**Rated:** K+ (But I feel T is more suiting...)

**Pairing:** Proud to say, none.

**Warnings:** None... bit o' blood, bit o' violence... suicidal and emo thoughts... kidding.

**Additional A/N:** Oh gods, I have no idea what the hell this is anymore. I completely bastardized english language and my metaphors... (shudder). But, I feel it's a waste to let this rot on my desktop, so maybe I'll post this up and maybe change it up in the future (or put it down). Oh, and a murder of crows is not crows getting killed. It's an odd (but valid) way to say a group of crows. You know, like flock, herd, colony... etc. Funny isn't it? Anyways, review? Enjoy? ~Lily

* * *

Under the watchful beam of the moonlight, they dance and flutter.

Under the pitch black night sky, they soar to the heavens, flashing their freedom.

Under the million insignificant and dulling stars, they cry, raven feathers drifting down to the earth like gentle rainfall.

And behind the window glass, a boy stared in awe at the performance.

Six year old Itachi would sit by his window each night, every night the moon emitted enough warmth and glow, and if he was lucky, he would be able to catch a glimpse of the magnificent display. It mattered little to him how long he would have to wait, or how little sleep he received as a penalty for such childish actions. He was patient, and would sometimes stay until the break of dawn for the finale.

- xXxXx -

He admired these black birds for as long as he could remember.

Perhaps this habit began two years ago. When his world suddenly collapsed in front of him, and he was prematurely pulled out of the innocence of childhood. When he screamed in the darkness, crying and pleading for the bloodshed to stop, yet his mother and father had fallen to deaf ears. When in his fear and isolation, he sought comfort in anything, anything at all.

Yes, the habit, he presumed, began two years ago, during that nightmare and terror. In search of relief and comfort, he turned to the moon and the sky and maybe even a god that would listen. And it was hope that ignited, when little black feathers happened to shower him then and there, and cool night air blanketed him as if suddenly an angel heard him and sheltered him, and when the moon and the clouds were draped in a veil of black, and everything seemed less horrifying…

It was as if something cared and was lulling him to an eternal peaceful sleep.

The birds… they listened. And when he stepped out into the garden, they all swarmed around him in a circle before lifting off and vanishing like an apparition.

Since then, he caught his first sight into beauty, and would do anything to watch them again.

- xXxXx -

He tried to tell others of the miracle. But they didn't understand. He realized that to any other spectator, they would have drawn their curtains in disgust. They would condemn the croaks and caws of such distasteful birds, wishing they would silence at such a solemn hour.

_Don't you understand Itachi-kun? They are bad luck. A curse._

_That awful noise! It woke up my baby! Someone do something about those things._

_It's witchcraft. From the devil, I tell you._

Witchcraft. That struck something within him. Even children's story books degraded these creatures as beings from the devil, because their feathers were stained with coal black. Black was the color of sin, while white, like the color of the dove, was of purity. And with superstition playing at every adult's core, they stared at the little boy with an odd expression… one filled with suspicion.

He would find it ironic.

Why would the devils listen…

While the angels shun?

It didn't make sense.

So from there on, he kept quiet and let it be his own secret.

- xXxXx -

_You aren't bad luck, are you?_

The crow by the windowsill said nothing, but watched him with dark eyes. So black and deep, he felt he was tumbling into an abyss.

_You can understand me. I know you can._

It remained silent. Then it spread its wings and flew off. When it returned, it held something silver in its beak. The bird let the delicate trinket fall into the boy's palms and left to join the rest in the sky.

Itachi blinked, then smiled. Yes, they understood him. They were clever little things, after all.

The crow is the brightest out of all the other birds.

- xXxXx -

When Itachi turned eight, in an odd mission with his team, he performed a genjutsu without realizing it.

His subconscious desires seemed to have manifested into a beautiful illusion…

Of ravens…

_What was that?_

He did not reply.

The other, irked by the lack of a response, demanded it to done again.

He did, and then grinned.

_I just want to fly with the crows, that's all._

Somehow, his imagination freed him… if only for a minute.

He was sent back down to the ground when the other slapped him hard and told him to never do it again, an action fueled by indignation and jealousy.

_That's stupid. Stop doing such girly techniques and wasting my time._

Itachi said nothing, and wiped away the red trailing from his lips.

- xXxXx -

One night, Itachi returned home late. The house was quiet, so with stealth, he went and secluded himself in his bedroom. He waited, but tonight, no birds came.

He woke up next to the windowsill, with a blanket wrapped around his body.

Then his father called him to leave. He had a long mission to do.

He already felt the nightmares spiraling to plague his mind, but said nothing and obeyed.

That night, they knew and watched him. Watched the little boy walk down the devil's road. Watched the little boy be forced to stain his hands with sin. And watched the little boy crumble and fall into a pool of agony and guilt.

They watched and then flew away, while the boy remained chained to the earth.

They do not do such things. Betrayal, that was what it was. They do not shed blood of their own kind…

But unite into one murder.

- xXxXx -

Crows are black so they can adapt and escape unnoticed into the night.

So in daylight, their contrasting feathers make them an easy prey to the hawk.

Yet, intelligent those things are, as they play with their predator, flapping and cawing in a haze, creating a storm of confusion.

With one, the hawk becomes the predator.

With many, the murder of crows reverse the roles and attack. Then they disperse and disappear, leaving the larger bird bewildered.

However, one small raven did not flee with the rest of the murder…

And the hawk took the opportunity.

And Itachi watched as the hawk pieced through the little black bird and shred it to pieces in the bright and sunny sky.

A broken feather dropped, and he caught it. Blood colored his fingertips.

- xXxXx -

Crows are an omen. They are intelligent, but not necessarily deadly. They swarm in numbers and hide and blend into the night like cowards.

Before attacking like assassins of the night.

Or an unseen shuriken.

But in the end, as Itachi realized, crows are only birds at the bottom of the food chain. And the only thing that they have to save them are illusions upon illusions. Deception is their only protection.

And each time he performs his genjutsu upon his clueless opponents, he wonders how long it would be before his illusion is shattered. And the predator sees just how weak and frail his prey really is. And just how long before that hawk finally comes and shreds him to pieces, just like how that little black bird was shred to pieces.

- xXxXx -

Within the cloud of phantom feathers, they dance in freedom to the pitch black sky.

And when he is freed, he will follow beside them…

The murder of crows.


End file.
